Ladd Keith

Ladd Keith PhD is an Assistant Professor of Planning and Chair of Sustainable Built Environments at The University of Arizona. He is an interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of urban planning and climate science and explores how climate action planning can make more sustainable and resilient cities. He is currently the principal investigator of an NOAA-funded research project evaluating the use of urban heat maps in urban planning and is co-investigator on a project developing community climate profiles tailored to local needs. He also founded and leads the Sustainable Built Environments degree program and teaches Public Participation and Dispute Resolution and Planning for Urban Resilience.

Keith has contributed to the development and analysis of a number of land use and development regulations, comprehensive plans, hazard mitigation plans, and climate action plans. He recently completed a full eight-year term on the City of Tucson's Planning Commission and as chair led the commission's public participation process for Plan Tucson: General & Sustainability Plan. An active member of the Urban Land Institute, he has served on the Sustainable Development Council, was a founding member of the Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance Advisory Board, and in 2016 was recognized as one of the ULI's 40 under 40. He most recently led a ULI Advisory Service Panel on increasing the resilience of Miami’s downtown and urban waterfronts to sea level rise and extreme heat. He is also an active member of the American Planning Association and serves as an academic liaison for the Arizona Chapter.

Keith is native to Tucson, where he lives with his husband and their son and daughter.